Gordon Hicks, president of Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions, was honoured with Corporate Knights’ Greenest Chief Executive Award for 2015.

The Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, presented the award to Hicks at the Corporate Knights Gala on June 2.

Hicks earned the award for managing one of the largest real estate management companies in North America, while working to preserve the planet.

“Gord Hicks is an inspirational leader, whose track record demonstrates that what is good for the environment can also be great for business,” said Toby Heaps, chief executive officer of Corporate Knights. “Off the clock, Gord has invested many hours working with fellow business leaders and the Ontario government to raise the level of ambition for a greener, more productive economy,” added Heaps.

Under the leadership of Hicks, Brookfield has significantly improved its sustainability performance. In addition, Brookfield banned the use of pesticides for cosmetic lawn care purposes in 2006, and in 2009 they were the first in their industry to publish a Sustainability Report and openly share it with the industry.

“These and many other initiatives were good, but as I tell our 3300 team members frequently, what has been done to get us to where we are is a fraction of the changes we need to make to get us to where we need to be,” said Hicks during his acceptance speech.